World Touch Archives - Page 38 of 71

Vatican

Ricci Brought the Gospel to China

Fr. Matteo Ricci was primarily a missionary who went to China to bring the Gospel.” And in doing so, he formed an important “dialogue between cultures, between China and the West.” This is what Benedict XVI said at the Paul VI Hall packed with thousands of pilgrims from Macerata, birthplace of Matteo Ricci, and Marche, on the occasion of the fourth centenary of the death of the great Jesuit missionary. Welcoming the bishops and the faithful, the Pope also greeted the Chinese with a resounding “Nimen hao?” (How are you?)

www.asianews.it

Africa

Losses of $200-400 Billion a Year in Capital Flight

The African continent loses between US$200 billion and US$400 billion annually in capital flight by firms (mainly foreign). This fact has emerged from the 20th World Economic Forum on Africa, held in the Tanzanian capital of Dar es Salaam.

www.fides.org

Cannes Festival

Martyred Monks’ Film Nabs Second Prize

At the end of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, a film on a group of French monks who were martyred in Africa during the 1990s won the 2010 event’s second highest honor. “Of Gods and Men,” a film by the French director Xavier Beauvois (right side photo), centers around the true story of seven Cistercian monks who were taken hostage and murdered by Islamic fundamentalists in 1996. Though the monks were told to return to their native France, the group refused and chose to remain in the conflict-torn region of the Algerian mountains, knowing that they would be martyred. The movie was awarded the “Grand Prix” honor, which is the festival’s second highest prize.

Catholic News Agency

Award for World Mission

The editor of World Mission magazine, Fr. José Rebelo, is one of the laureates of the 2010 International Award for Excellence in Journalism (www.ucip.ch/aw/2010/aa.htm), given by the Geneva-based International Catholic Union of the Press (UCIP). “The two major criteria of the award are content value and journalistic presentation,” states the award description.

World Mission

South Korea

Bishops Criticize Four Rivers Project

The president of the South Korea Bishops Conference, Peter Kang, held a press conference to express the deep concern of all the Catholic bishops of the country about the Four Rivers Project.

Fr. Seán McDonagh, SSC

U.S.A.

Patents on Human Genes Invalidated

A judge in the U.S. had invalidated seven patents related to the BRAC1 and BRAC2 genes which are associated with breast cancer in women. Patenting life is wrong. As in the case of slavery, there no good form of patenting. Other mechanisms must be devised to compensate people for the time, energy and money they have invested in researching a particular product.

Fr. Seán McDonagh, SSC

World

Is Humanitarianism Genetic?

That creatures like ants and bees are willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the colony seems to defy Darwin’s theory of the survival of the fittest, UK researchers noted in a recent paper on the genetics of altruism. “Altruism reduces the reproductive process of the altruist – so why is it not weeded out by natural selection?”

Irin News

Unsafe Water is a Silent Killer

Every 20 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease – 1.8 million children younger than five years, each year. This alarming figure is from a new report by the UN Environment Program (UNEP), which says millions of tons of solid waste are being flushed into water systems every day, spreading disease.

Irin News

Poverty Reduction is an Urgent Priority

The countries that found bailout money to save financial institutions in the economic crisis should also have resources for helping the poor, stated Archbishop Migliore, the Holy See’s permanent observer at the U.N. offices in New York. The prelate noted that the “devastating impact of the recent financial crisis on the world’s most vulnerable populations” is “a concern shared by governments and citizens all over the world.” And added: “The dark shadow of this crisis is likely to frustrate efforts made so far to help reduce poverty and only add to the skyrocketing numbers living in extreme poverty.”

South Africa

Bishops Declare “World Cup Sunday”

The Bishops of South Africa have declared Sunday, June 13, “World Cup Sunday.” This date has been chosen as it coincides with the beginning of the World Cup and the conclusion of the Year for Priests. “The World Cup is about South Africa welcoming the world to our home,” affirms the website “Church on the Ball,” promoted by the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC). “We are also welcoming the world to our church communities. This welcome helps us realize that, despite our nationalities and our teams, we’re all one people of God.”

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Category: World Touch